Solar collectors can be used to provide heat economically for both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. In the case of indoor pools, glazed or unglazed solar collectors can cost-effectively supply a portion of the heating requirement. If you use the pool year round, glazed collectors will provide a greater percentage of the annual heat required but unglazed collectors will have a shorter payback. If you use the pool in the summer, the total energy delivered for a glazed and an unglazed collector may be the same and the payback for an unglazed collector will likely be shorter.

 

For outdoor pools, the systems are very simple: pool water is pumped directly through the solar collectors by the existing pump used in the filtration system. Unglazed flat plate collectors are specifically made to operate efficiently when heating outdoor swimming pools. A properly sized solar water heater can replace a conventional heater, especially when used with a pool blanket. Typically, the collector array area is equal to 50% of the pool area.